Deacon is frustrated at lack of progress over chapel

DEACON Richard Cooke is frustrated that services still can’t be held at Rehoboth Strict Baptist Chapel after work on the new £16m Regent Circus development caused cracks in the building in February.

Excavation work at the ISG building site, neighbouring the Prospect Hill chapel, built in 1882, forced parishioners to find somewhere else to worship after the building was declared unsafe.

Initially services were moved to Mr Cooke’s 94-year-old mother’s front room with them now being homed at St Mary’s Church, in Commonweal Road.

Mr Cooke said he is in regular contact with the developer of the site about returning to the chapel.

He said: “There’s been scaffolding up for a few weeks now but nothing has happened for sometime.

“I think the scaffolding is just acting as counterweight for the building while there are some ties going through the chapel as well.”

Yesterday, as work was going on at the new leisure complex, expected to open in the autumn, the scaffolding and bricks next to the chapel stood untouched with no visible repairs taking place.

“The fact that we can’t use the chapel for services is very frustrating and upsetting.

“I would like to think we’ll be able to get back in there but that is dependent on what the developer says and whether our trustees agree.”

ISG has previously promised to make the necessary repairs to the chapel.

A representative from ISG was unavailable for comment when the Adver contacted them yesterday.

Mr Cooke said: “I’m in contact with the developer weekly and they tell me things are going to happen but we aren’t seeing too much work being done to the chapel. There seems to be lots of promises coming from them but very little seems to be done.

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When the Regent Circus complex is completed it will house a Morrisons supermarket, a six-screen Cineworld and eight restaurants with tenants including Ask, Coal, Prezzo and Nandos.

In March, work on the site caused a hole to open up in Cross Street and some peoples’ homes suffered subsidence.

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Comments (6)

Mr Cooke said: “I’m in contact with the developer weekly.." He's also presumably in contact with god on a daily basis, surely he can ask the big guy to move things along... oh wait.. that's not going to work, is it.

Mr Cooke said: “I’m in contact with the developer weekly.."
He's also presumably in contact with god on a daily basis, surely he can ask the big guy to move things along... oh wait.. that's not going to work, is it.semitonic

Mr Cooke said: “I’m in contact with the developer weekly.." He's also presumably in contact with god on a daily basis, surely he can ask the big guy to move things along... oh wait.. that's not going to work, is it.

Score: 1

house on the hill says...8:13am Fri 9 May 14

semitonic wrote…

Mr Cooke said: “I’m in contact with the developer weekly.." He's also presumably in contact with god on a daily basis, surely he can ask the big guy to move things along... oh wait.. that's not going to work, is it.

Love it!

[quote][p][bold]semitonic[/bold] wrote:
Mr Cooke said: “I’m in contact with the developer weekly.."
He's also presumably in contact with god on a daily basis, surely he can ask the big guy to move things along... oh wait.. that's not going to work, is it.[/p][/quote]Love it!house on the hill

semitonic wrote…

Mr Cooke said: “I’m in contact with the developer weekly.." He's also presumably in contact with god on a daily basis, surely he can ask the big guy to move things along... oh wait.. that's not going to work, is it.

Love it!

Score: 0

Eastcott says...12:55pm Fri 9 May 14

Just knock it down. If he's able to hold services in his mother's front room there's obviously not exactly a large congregation, so it won't be missed.

Just knock it down. If he's able to hold services in his mother's front room there's obviously not exactly a large congregation, so it won't be missed.Eastcott

Just knock it down. If he's able to hold services in his mother's front room there's obviously not exactly a large congregation, so it won't be missed.

Score: 2

Badgersgetabadname says...11:24am Sat 10 May 14

Another of Swindon`s beautiful buildings wrecked. ISG had promised to be transparent, they havent this work is not being carried out in a timely manner they said it would. Unavailable for comment and dragging out the timeline for this work,,,hallmarks of a company that can be trusted? As some of the other comments on here show the general consensus is that if it doesnt effect many people then it doesnt matter? Nice, very classy people. There will be the usual anti-religion type comments (very original yaaaawn) if a building provides a number of people with a healthy outlet and place to be why ridicule them? Oh yes because it is a religion and an easy target. ISG failed to carry out risk assessments on a number of parts of the development. ISG said they would hold a public meeting to discuss the development they sent people who said this is whats happening but with no information on any questions. ISG have failed to answer questions put to them at that meeting. Nothing will happen here temporary weights have been added that will become permanent as long as ISG agree a pathetic maintenance deal,,,the building is listed so as long as it is standing they are ok. No accountability as ever.

Another of Swindon`s beautiful buildings wrecked.
ISG had promised to be transparent, they havent this work is not being carried out in a timely manner they said it would.
Unavailable for comment and dragging out the timeline for this work,,,hallmarks of a company that can be trusted?
As some of the other comments on here show the general consensus is that if it doesnt effect many people then it doesnt matter? Nice, very classy people.
There will be the usual anti-religion type comments (very original yaaaawn) if a building provides a number of people with a healthy outlet and place to be why ridicule them? Oh yes because it is a religion and an easy target.
ISG failed to carry out risk assessments on a number of parts of the development. ISG said they would hold a public meeting to discuss the development they sent people who said this is whats happening but with no information on any questions. ISG have failed to answer questions put to them at that meeting.
Nothing will happen here temporary weights have been added that will become permanent as long as ISG agree a pathetic maintenance deal,,,the building is listed so as long as it is standing they are ok.
No accountability as ever.Badgersgetabadname

Another of Swindon`s beautiful buildings wrecked. ISG had promised to be transparent, they havent this work is not being carried out in a timely manner they said it would. Unavailable for comment and dragging out the timeline for this work,,,hallmarks of a company that can be trusted? As some of the other comments on here show the general consensus is that if it doesnt effect many people then it doesnt matter? Nice, very classy people. There will be the usual anti-religion type comments (very original yaaaawn) if a building provides a number of people with a healthy outlet and place to be why ridicule them? Oh yes because it is a religion and an easy target. ISG failed to carry out risk assessments on a number of parts of the development. ISG said they would hold a public meeting to discuss the development they sent people who said this is whats happening but with no information on any questions. ISG have failed to answer questions put to them at that meeting. Nothing will happen here temporary weights have been added that will become permanent as long as ISG agree a pathetic maintenance deal,,,the building is listed so as long as it is standing they are ok. No accountability as ever.

Score: -3

semitonic says...5:43pm Sat 10 May 14

Badgersgetabadname says... "Oh yes because it is a religion and an easy target." Well not so much much an easy target but they do leave themselves open to ridicule because they are, well, ridiculous, aren't they? I realise religion serves a purpose for certain people who need some sort of moral compass in life (like Catholic priests. That worked well didn't it) but in reality it's a troublesome menace that's responsible for most of the hate and conflict in the world. Imagine a world without religion, just people living their lives without feeling the need to belong to some 'faith' or other - utopia.

Badgersgetabadname says... "Oh yes because it is a religion and an easy target."
Well not so much much an easy target but they do leave themselves open to ridicule because they are, well, ridiculous, aren't they?
I realise religion serves a purpose for certain people who need some sort of moral compass in life (like Catholic priests. That worked well didn't it) but in reality it's a troublesome menace that's responsible for most of the hate and conflict in the world.
Imagine a world without religion, just people living their lives without feeling the need to belong to some 'faith' or other - utopia.semitonic

Badgersgetabadname says... "Oh yes because it is a religion and an easy target." Well not so much much an easy target but they do leave themselves open to ridicule because they are, well, ridiculous, aren't they? I realise religion serves a purpose for certain people who need some sort of moral compass in life (like Catholic priests. That worked well didn't it) but in reality it's a troublesome menace that's responsible for most of the hate and conflict in the world. Imagine a world without religion, just people living their lives without feeling the need to belong to some 'faith' or other - utopia.

Score: 2

Badgersgetabadname says...1:47pm Sun 11 May 14

semitonic wrote…

Badgersgetabadname says... "Oh yes because it is a religion and an easy target." Well not so much much an easy target but they do leave themselves open to ridicule because they are, well, ridiculous, aren't they? I realise religion serves a purpose for certain people who need some sort of moral compass in life (like Catholic priests. That worked well didn't it) but in reality it's a troublesome menace that's responsible for most of the hate and conflict in the world. Imagine a world without religion, just people living their lives without feeling the need to belong to some 'faith' or other - utopia.

And what gives you the right to decide who is ridiculous? I said that it gives people comfort not that it stops people doing bad things, yes it has been used as an excuse many, many times for violence but any person with a level of intelligence can see that. Greedy people abuse positions of power to lie to a population in order to act out their own agenda, this is nothing new. Are you suggesting that without religion hate and violence etc...would not exist? How does it make your life worse to have religion?

[quote][p][bold]semitonic[/bold] wrote:
Badgersgetabadname says... "Oh yes because it is a religion and an easy target."
Well not so much much an easy target but they do leave themselves open to ridicule because they are, well, ridiculous, aren't they?
I realise religion serves a purpose for certain people who need some sort of moral compass in life (like Catholic priests. That worked well didn't it) but in reality it's a troublesome menace that's responsible for most of the hate and conflict in the world.
Imagine a world without religion, just people living their lives without feeling the need to belong to some 'faith' or other - utopia.[/p][/quote]And what gives you the right to decide who is ridiculous?
I said that it gives people comfort not that it stops people doing bad things, yes it has been used as an excuse many, many times for violence but any person with a level of intelligence can see that.
Greedy people abuse positions of power to lie to a population in order to act out their own agenda, this is nothing new.
Are you suggesting that without religion hate and violence etc...would not exist?
How does it make your life worse to have religion?Badgersgetabadname

semitonic wrote…

Badgersgetabadname says... "Oh yes because it is a religion and an easy target." Well not so much much an easy target but they do leave themselves open to ridicule because they are, well, ridiculous, aren't they? I realise religion serves a purpose for certain people who need some sort of moral compass in life (like Catholic priests. That worked well didn't it) but in reality it's a troublesome menace that's responsible for most of the hate and conflict in the world. Imagine a world without religion, just people living their lives without feeling the need to belong to some 'faith' or other - utopia.

And what gives you the right to decide who is ridiculous? I said that it gives people comfort not that it stops people doing bad things, yes it has been used as an excuse many, many times for violence but any person with a level of intelligence can see that. Greedy people abuse positions of power to lie to a population in order to act out their own agenda, this is nothing new. Are you suggesting that without religion hate and violence etc...would not exist? How does it make your life worse to have religion?

Ipsoregulated

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